Settle down
by Rose-Kuniochi
Summary: Juan is in love. His affections are not shared.


Cesare stood in his clergy finery, escorted by some of the best soldiers loyal to the papacy to the gates of Roma, waiting for their newest guests. They had been invited by his father to train the papal army. But the thing that Cesare knew was that the people of Roma were going to be frightened about their appearance, no more so than he was when he first saw the. They were giants, lithe and devoid of any hindrance, as opposed to Juan's own army, the muscular and beefy men that could be killed by a well aimed sword point. The bore the most intricately fastened armour imaginable, and he saw them gleaming under the royal purple tunics trimmed in satin gold, such an unusual pairing of colours but it was eye catching.

"Cesare Borgia!" The leader shouted and greeted the man with a tight embrace. Cesare felt his face blush slightly as the leader held Cesare at arms length. "Man of the cloth; would not have guessed you, _Cardinal_." The leader ruffled his hair, to which Cesare glared at her.

"You were very quick to accept father's offer." Cesare said. This earned a hearty bellow from the leader.

"I come on pure self-interest Cardinal." The leader said. "Many of my children had not had the privilege to come and see Roma." Seeing Juan escape from the crowd that had begun to congregate in curiosity at the people that stood behind her. Many were women, all wearing tunics and the armour of men, down to the sandals and stockings. Men were outnumbered, only about four to the twenty. "Juan Borgia, how do you do?" Juan didn't answer. "My children and I need to rest after the long trek." Cesare nodded. They had travelled from deep within Africa, and Cesare estimated it would be at least a three month trip non stop. Juan didn't look at the leader, but he examined the women in the group. They were beautiful, but not as beautiful as their leader. The leader was a honey tone, her eyes heavily outlined with black kohl, allowing her slate grey eyes to shine with their own brilliance. Tied and kept under a practical hood was curls of black as Juan saw a stray strand escape from the material that was supposed to keep it tidy. She was as tall as Cesare, which meant that she towered over him. Juan could only take glimpses of the woman before his mind was blown, his circuits straining to take it all in. Splendour beyond any comparison that is how he could describe it.

"Follow me."

- 

Juan wasn't in a good mood.

"Why did he choose that pagan whore to train my men mother?" Juan whined to his mother as he sat in the courtyard.

"She is very experienced, Juan." Vanozza complimented, sidestepping the 'pagan whore' comment.

"She's a woman!" Juan exclaimed. Vanozza sighed and glanced at her son. "A bloody ruthless pagan whore!" Lucrezia peered at Juan from behind her book and frowned.

"You are just jealous." Lucrezia remarked flippantly, her honey eyes scanning for that tick he got every time-ah-there it was. It was a twitch of his left shoulder. Lucrezia leaned back and returned to reading. "She can wield a blade much better than you can, she can fight better than you can…" Lucrezia moved her book again. "And she likes Cesare more than you." That twitch was working in overdrive and Lucrezia was inwardly in hysterics. Vanozza sighed at her children. It seemed that only Jeoffre could stay out of trouble.

"I am not jealous." Juan forced through clenched teeth.

"Prove it." Lucrezia said, standing up and walking over to her brother. "I bet you cannot marry her."

"Why would I _want_to marry a Pagan Whore?" Juan questioned her sister, his eyebrow raised.

"She is beautiful, is she not?" Lucrezia was playing with Juan now. She knew that Juan was attracted to the 'Pagan Whore' as he affectionately put it. "Not Italian beautiful or Spanish beautiful, something more… exotic, is she not brother?" Juan turned away from Lucrezia to try and hide his flush of rose.

"Stop baiting your brother Lucrezia." Vanozza snapped.

"Yes mother."

"Juan, work with Andromenache." Vanozza barked at Juan, who flinched at the order.

"Yes mother."

"Good, now end this conversation before I get a headache from your voices." Vanozza massaged her temples.

-


End file.
